We've had a minor calamity here at the Mansion. A calamity discovered by Mrs. HM herself. Who may or may not be the perpetrator of the calamity.
As you may infer, things have been falling apart here at the Mansion. On Friday morning, at 10:10 a.m., I discovered a new item needing repair. I'd just walked into the master bathroom to take a shower before rushing to the post office to mail the boys' weekly letters. Yes, I was running a bit behind, due to catching up on the credit card charges after Farmer H's
Anyhoo... I walked into the bathroom and flipped on the light. The first thing I noticed, across the room, was the lid on the toilet seat. It was leaning! Leaning to the right. Huh. It wasn't like that the night before when I got ready for bed. When Farmer H and I get up in the night, we don't turn on the bathroom light. Same thing in the morning. It had been overcast when I first went in upon arising. So the light was dim through the octagon window over the toilet.
Upon further inspection, I discovered that one of the screw thingies that hold the toilet lid to the seat part was gone. Gone or broken. Nothing was holding it in place, so it sagged on that side. The left side still had its screw, still bolted to the main part of the toilet.
Here's the thing. That seat has served us well. It has only been replaced once in the 21 years that we've lived here. I can't even remember the last time it was replaced. That time, it was because of a crack in the seat, which would pinch your butt when you sat down!
The broken screw part might have been due to the plopping or swiveling or contorting of either Farmer H OR me. Who knows? It must have happened between the hours of 4:00 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. I called Farmer H to report the issue, and he said he'd take a look when he got home. At that time, he declared it unfixable, and TOOK OFF THE LID!
Do you know how odd it looks to have a toilet seat without a lid? It's not like the absence of a lid hurts anything. We don't have to close it to keep out experimenting toddlers or drinking pets. It just seems wrong.
Anyhoo... Farmer H went to Lowe's for a new toilet seat. He PUT IT ON HIS LOWE'S CREDIT CARD! Can you believe that? Oh. I'm sure that you can. Why he couldn't just use the debit card, I don't know. I was also shocked that a new toilet seat cost $38.00!!! Sweet Gummi Mary! That's some inflation right there!
Farmer H said he used his credit card to get the discount. The discount was $1.90.
Seriously. If that credit card bill gets lost in the mail, or comes late, the 26.9 percent interest charge will be way more than the 5 percent discount! It will be $10.22.
I can easily believe the cost of the toilet seat, we have similar prices over here and most seats here are plastic. I used to buy the cheapest available type for around $10, whenever I moved to a new home, but when I went to the Big Green Hardware store last year to get one they were no longer available and the next cheapest was $24.95. I would never put such a small amount on a credit card, or even a debit card. For such small amounts I usually carry a $50 tucked away in a secret pocket in my purse, I almost never need to use it. I think the current secret $50 has been in there for about 8 years.
ReplyDeleteRiver,
ReplyDeleteI would have preferred that amount taken out of our checking account by using the debit card. Then it's over and done. Now I'll feel like I have to come up with that money when the bill comes at the end of the month. Even using our regular credit card would have been better. I call and keep track of the charges, and budget money to pay it off every month. I know when the bill arrives, and how long before it's due. I sure don't need an extra bill to dwell on.
Congrats on hanging onto your secret $50 for so long! More on my toilet seat next post...
As long as he didn't buy one of those puffy, foamy-soft things. The ones covered with a thin coating of vinyl. One of those seats designed to cushion your rear, that kind of seat that makes a pfffft noise whenever you plop down onto it.
ReplyDeleteI don't even know if they still make them, but they used to be popular.
Those toilet seats--in my opinion--are the worst. (Except butt-pinchers, I guess.)
Sioux,
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the puffy seats! Sweet Gummi Mary, I hope Farmer H never sees one of them while he has his Lowe's credit card! I think I need to do a search of the innernets to find my seat. But then I'll get a bunch of ads for toilet seats whenever I'm online.
As you can imagine, we replace toilet seats a lot here and I get them at Walmart. The wood ones are cheaper than the plastic in the Walmart I go to. I would not want a plastic seat for myself, but if I can save money, I would let the campers have plastic ….
ReplyDeleteKathy,
ReplyDeleteThat's what I found out after a Google! This plastic one is just like the toilet seats in motels. They must be sturdy, I guess. But SO UNCOMFORTABLE! I'm guessing a benefit is that if men lift the seat, and then drop it down, the plastic bounces instead of thumps, and is more durable in the long run.